Beautiful
by dontcountonit
Summary: Cause sometimes time and distance doesn't matter. When it's meant to be, it happens. Eventually. Instantaneously. Beautifully.


**DISCLAIMER: Naruto belongs to it's respective owner.** Although I wish I did. Lol.  
The lyrics used are from Maroon 5's Beautiful Goodbye.

I'd say it would be nice reading this while listening to Beautiful Goodbye bye Maroon 5. But then again, that's just me. :p  
ENJOY!

* * *

_I count the ways I let you down_

_All my fingers and toes but i'm running out_

_Clever words can't help me now_

_I tipped you attack but you're slipping out_

* * *

_*Click*_

The door slammed shut and keys jingled before being dropped in a glass bowl. Flesh ballet flats, left forgotten by the doormat and green painted nails came into view. Slow, soft steps were heard as the person went up the wooden stairs. Another door came into view, the person opened it and a large brown leather bag was placed on the dresser. A white wool coat fell on the floor, followed by a red scarf and grey gloves. Approaching a mirror, a woman came into view. She had hazy emerald eyes and wavy pink hair. Lifting her pale slender hands, she touched her partly opened lips.

She gasped.

* * *

It was a snowy winter morning, and people were seen clearing up their driveway, getting ready to leave the house to start the day early. With her gloved hands inside her white wool coat, she walked on the sidewalk with a steady pace.

Burying her nose into her red scarf she glanced around. It was indeed good to be home. Hearing a light shuffle, she looked up and saw snow falling on the pavement, she smiled. Having lived in a country with no snow for the past 3 years, this was truly a beautiful homecoming.

"Sakura!"

She stopped in her tracks and looked back. A blonde boy in an orange winter jacket was jogging towards her.

"Ohayo Naruto!"

Without responding to her greeting, she was roughly pulled into a warm hug.

"Tadaima." Naruto softly said.

"Okaerinasai." She replied with a smile, as she hugged back.

…

Sitting at a familiar ramen stand, Sakura and Naruto sat side by side as they waited for their order of steaming hot ramen.

"The pictures you've sent haven't been doing you justice, Sakura-chan! You look amazing!"

Sakura chuckled as she looked at Naruto, "You don't look half bad yourself, Naruto."

"You've been gone, what, like 3 years?" Naruto asked, as he clapped his hands, his favorite ramen placed in front of him.

Sakura nodded as she looked at Naruto, slurpping down his ramen like a glass of water. "You haven't changed at all."

Naruto turned to look at Sakura and grinned. "You know how it is between me and my beloved ramen, Sakura-chan. "

Sakura smiled as Naruto continued eating.

There was a comfortable silence between them with the occasional slurping and gulping from Naruto.

Placing the empty bowl of ramen on the table, chopsticks resting flat on the rim, he turned to Sakura.

"Just because we haven't talked about it, doesn't mean you're not thinking about it." Naruto said as he placed his hand on top of Sakura's, which were placed on the table.

Sakura looked at Naruto and smiled ruefully.

"I'm guessing you guys haven't seen each other. You should meet up with him. He probably doesn't know you're back." Naruto added.

"I've been thinking the same thing, actually. He's not the type of person to listen to gossip or whatnot. I'm sure that's how you found out I was back, right?" Sakura said, turning towards Naruto.

"Well..." Naruto said as he grinned sheepishly.

"Anyway, I have to go Naruto. I've been gone a while and there are some stuff I still need to take care of. I'll see you around? Let's hang out next time. Alright? " Sakura said as she stood up and grabbed her coat which was hanging on her chair.

"Looking forward to it!" Naruto said as he stood up and kissed Sakura on the forehead. "Take care, Sakura-chan!"

"You too."

...

Sakura stood in front of a tall building, the name "UCHIHA CORPORATION" plastered on the building's tinted glass walls.

Taking a deep breath, she walked in through the rotating doors. Walking towards the front desk, she rang the bell.

"Good afternoon! Welcome to Uchiha Corporation, how may I help you?" the clerk said almost robotically.

"Hi, I'm here to see Mr. Uchiha Sasuke. And no, I don 't have an appointment. But if you'd just call him, tell him Haruno Sakura is here." Sakura said politely.

"Ah. Oh. Alright, ma'am. If you would just take a seat right over there and I'll get back to you." the clerk said as she motioned her hand towards the waiting area.

Sakura nodded and then she walked towards the seats, and patiently waited. Minutes later, Sakura wondered if Sasuke just didn't want to see her, or if the clerk forgot all about her. Having waited enough, she walked back up towards the front desk.

"Excuse me, but I was wondering if there was a delay of sorts? If he's not in, can I just leave a message?" Sakura asked.

As the clerk was about to open her mouth, a deep baritone voice spoke behind her.

"I don't think that will be necessary."

Sakura's heart began to beat faster, her spine tingling and the tips of her fingers numb. She slowly turned around and saw dark onyx orbs staring directly into her emerald ones.

As she opened her mouth to speak, Sasuke spoke.

"Care for a walk, Sakura?"

"ah...uhm."

Feeling like a blubbering fool, Sakura managed to nod. Sasuke nodded and diverted his attention to the clerk behind the desk.

"Let my secretary know that I won't be receiving anyone for the whole afternoon."

The clerk stunned and flabbergasted with the moment that had just transpired between her boss and this mysterious guest simply replied with a faint, "Okay."

Grabbing her gloved hand, Sasuke began to pull Sakura towards the exit.

...

Finally grabbing hold of her wits, Sakura pulled her hand from Sasuke's and walked beside him. They seem to have ended up in an almost deserted intersection, when Sakura spoke.

"You still have the knack for interrupting people, Sasuke-kun."

"And still have the knack of being at loss for words, Sakura." Sasuke replied, looking straight ahead.

'_Touché_' Sakura thought.

"How are you, Sasuke-kun?"

Stopping by an empty bench, Sasuke sat down.

"That's a pretty good question coming from someone who left so suddenly 3 years ago." Sasuke replied.

Sakura flinched. Sasuke has always been frank and straight to the point. He saw no reason to dilly-dally. Sakura sat down beside Sasuke, one feet of space between them.

"Still frank as ever, Sasuke-kun." Sakura said.

"Hn."

Sakura turned her head towards Sasuke and despite his uncaring demeanor; she saw the storm of emotions brewing in his eyes.

"I'm not sorry for leaving. I'm just sorry for how I went about it." Sakura said.

"A little too late for that, don't you think?" Sasuke said, his voice husky from the cold.

Sakura took a deep breath. And swallowed her pride. He has every right to be mad.

"I know. But doesn't mean I won't say it to you. You didn't deserve that. But I guess I needed the space to grow. You know?" Sakura said as she looked up at the sky, snow ready to fall at anytime.

"You were my whole world. You were everything I knew. You became the air I breathe. You were my life. You were everything to me. But it came to a point when I realized that I didn't know who I was, without you. When your parents died, you became distant. It was then I realized, I didn't know how to be without you. I was lost and afraid. But after awhile, I started thinking that if I didn't start picking up the pieces of myself, then I'd probably die without you." Sakura said, noticing that Sasuke was now looking at her.

Making a bold decision, she reached her hand out and grabbed his, which were tucked to his side, as his arms were crossed in front of him.

"Then you came back. And I knew that if I allowed myself to fall back to my old self, all the efforts into telling myself that you won't always be there would be for naught. So I left. I'm not blaming you though, I'm thankful, actually. Without you, I wouldn't be who I am today." Sakura said as she let go of his hand and placed it on top of her lap.

Silence enveloped them like a cloud. The passing by cars was the only sounds heard.

Sasuke sighed.

"It's funny." Sasuke started.

Sakura looked at him, her eyebrows scrunched up in the middle.

"It's funny how all this time, I've been feeling the same way."

Sakura's eyes widened. "What?"

"I'm a man of few words. You should know that very well by now but you were everything to me too. Everything was perfect, but the accident happened. I found myself lost. It's stupid I know, but I began telling myself that if I lost you the same way I lost my parents, I would die. I couldn't keep you close knowing that someday I'd eventually lose you to something I have no control over."

"But of course, that didn't last long. I knew how stupid I sounded, so I came back. Cause I knew that as long as I could keep you as happy as you were back then, then it was worth it."

Sakura covered her mouth with her hands, tears threatening to fall.

"Oh, Sasuke."

"But here's the difference between us, when I left I came back. But when you left..."

"I..." Sakura started.

"It's okay. It's all in the past. And I can see how much you've grown and how much different you are compared to before. So I guess it was still worth it." Sasuke said, then pausing.

"Sa-" Sakura was saying when her phone beeped.

Sakura checked her phone and saw that it was one of the hospitals she applied to. Saying that there was an opening and they would like to meet her today.

"Go."

Sakura looked up at Sasuke and opened her mouth to say something.

"Go, Sakura."

Biting her lower lip, she stood up, hesitating a little bit.

"Let's...start over." Sakura said, turning to face Sasuke, who was still sitting on the bench.

"That would be...nice." Sasuke said, a faint smirk on his lips.

"See you around, Sasuke-kun."

Sakura began walking away, her heart screaming and begging that Sasuke had asked her to stay, rather than go. But this wasn't like the movies, this was real life. And though she had hoped her life turned out like the movies, life surprises her.

"Sakura."

Sakura stops in her tracks and heard footsteps approaching her from behind. She doesn't look back. She doesn't speak.

"Sakura. Please."

Sakura turns around and the look in Sasuke's eyes sends tremors through her whole body.

"We're no longer kids, Sakura. And I'm sure that by now, we already know the things we want in this life."

Her hands shaking and heart beating fast.

"I don't understand."

After a very long time, Sakura sees Sasuke smile. And her she feels like she's floating.

"Marry me."

* * *

She gasped.

Gleaming and shining brightly on her finger, was a silver band with a single princess-cut diamond.

* * *

_And I can't take it,_

_You're even perfect when you cry._

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

It has definitely been a while. So refreshing to be able to write again. I'll try to write more, now that I have more time compared to before.  
I was inspired to write this while listening to Beautiful Goodbye by Maroon 5.

Hope you enjoyed this comeback! haha.

Ciao,  
Xocoholic


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